Please be advised that due to changes relating to Covid-19, the Report + Support team are unable to offer face-to-face meetings until further notice. Existing reports will still be monitored; and we shall aim to respond to new reports as soon as we can.

If you are in immediate danger or are seriously injured, you can call 999 (or 112 from a mobile). If you’re in an emergency situation and need police help, but can’t speak call 999 wait for the operator then press 55 the operator will then transfer the call to the relevant police force as an emergency. For non-emergency calls, dial 101.

Information on other kinds of support can be found on the Support page. Answers to questions relating to Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on the University’s dedicated webpages: https://www.dur.ac.uk/coronavirus/

What is meant by bullying and harassment?

Bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient. While bullying and harassment are related, bullying is usually intentional.

Harassment is unwanted conduct which adversely affects the dignity of an individual. It may be persistent or a single isolated incident. The key is that the actions or comments are viewed as hostile or intimidating, demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient. Students and staff members can also complain of behaviour that they find offensive even if it is not directed at them, but at another student or staff. Harassment may have either the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.

It is recognised that differences in attitude, background and culture can often mean that what is perceived by one individual as harassment or bullying may not necessarily be perceived in the same way by another. It should be noted therefore, that when deciding whether bullying or harassment has occurred, the impact on the individual and whether the behaviour is unacceptable by normal standards will be the focus, rather than motive or intent.

Bullying and Harassment can include (but is certainly not limited to):

Verbal abuse

Insulting behaviour or personal insults, including making racist, homophobic, anti-semetic or transphobic statements

Coercive or menacing behaviour which interferes with dignity and privacy or which undermines an individual's self-confidence

Offensive written or computer generated material, including the use of email and social media

Unreasonable, unfair or offensive expectations about an individual's disabilities or mischievous interference with personal aids or equipment

Unwanted physical contact ranging from touching to serious assault

Leering and offensive gestures

Asserting a position of seniority in an aggressive, abusive or offensive manner e.g. inappropriate or derogatory remark in connection with performance of duties / responsibilities.

Withholding important work-related information

Ridicule, isolation or non-cooperation, exclusion from everyday social interaction or activities

We encourage you to report any incidents, as then we can help to support you. You may decide to report an incident anonymously, which means that the incident will be logged for trend monitoring purposes, however we are unable to take any direct action on anonymous reports.